About Mayor Billy Kenoi

Mayor Billy Kenoi was elected mayor of Hawai‘i Island in 2008 in his first bid for public office and re-elected for a second term in 2012. As chief executive of a municipal government with 2,500 employees, he helped guide Hawai‘i County through some of the toughest economic years the island has ever faced. Mayor Kenoi’s administration has invested in roads, housing projects, parks, and infrastructure in communities around the 4,028 square mile Hawai‘i Island.

Mayor Kenoi graduated with honors from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and earned his law degree at the University of Hawai’i’s William S. Richardson School of Law. Before being elected, Mayor Kenoi practiced public interest law and advocated for the people of Hawai‘i at the federal, state and county levels.

He has served as chair of the Hawai‘i Council of Mayors, and is the only Hawai‘i mayor serving on the National Advisory Board of the United States Conference of Mayors.

Born and raised on Hawai‘i Island, Mayor Kenoi’s parents instilled in him the values of hard work, fairness, respect, and aloha. He believes that a healthy, safe community begins with healthy children and families. Mayor Kenoi is committed to keeping Hawai‘i Island a beautiful and special place to call home for his wife Takako and his three children, Liam (17), Justin (15), and Mahina (14).